BlackBerry Storm2 review

There’s no denying that if you want to see your email when you’re on the move, you can’t beat BlackBerry with its efficient, fast, easy-to-use system. And if you’re suffering a little Apple iPhone envy, BlackBerry has its own touchscreen handset, the Storm, released a year ago.

Although popular with end users, it had a mixed critical reception. Nobody liked the lack of wi-fi, requiring you to find a decent 3G phone signal before you could surf the net at speed.

Its unique touchscreen was a Marmite affair: the screen was sprung so you’d rest your finger on a menu item to highlight it but push through to make the screen click in order to activate it. I loved this – it was a reassuring confirmation that you were doing what you were trying to and worked better than the vibrating response offered with some other smartphones. And many felt that texting was a dog and the motion sensor was erratic – turn the phone sideways and the screen took an age to reformat, for instance.

So how does the Storm2 fare? Well, it’s a whacking great improvement in every single way. The springy screen is more accurate, though you’ll still like it or loathe it. The new software makes the accelerometer responsive and effective and texting is a little better – though the fact that when you touch a key with your thumb renders it invisible still hasn’t been addressed. Other smart phones display the key above your finger, so you know you’ve got the right one. Best of all, though, the BlackBerry boffins have found space for a wi-fi chip.

The new model is sleeker and sexier than the first, and in the last six months the BlackBerry AppWorld application store has built up its catalog. Not huge, but with lots of business-oriented add-ons, though many are pricey.

Original Storm users are promised a software update which will, it’s claimed address many of the usability issues. But, of course, it can’t add wi-fi. Still, it may tide you over until it’s time to upgrade.

Blackberry Outage: RIM Should Compensate Users

For the second time in a week, a Blackberry outage has left North American users without access to e-mail on their handsets.

Bloomberg reports that two recent versions of Blackberry's Messenger program could be to blame, and that Research in Motion, which makes the handsets, has released software to fix the glitches. Customers are encouraged to download the latest version if their last upgrade was after December 14. Thanks for the tip, RIM, but two outages in five days deserves more than a patch and a half-hearted "we apologize for any inconvenience." Show your customers the money. It doesn't have to be much. Maybe a $5 or $10 credit, arranged with wireless carriers. Or maybe a $20 voucher off the purchase of a new Blackberry phone. Something to show that customer satisfaction is a priority and that RIM doesn't intend to make a habit of e-mail outages.

RIM doesn't have a flawless track record for responding to outages. In 2007, it took the company a few days to explain a day-long outage, causing outrage among users. Crisis management consultants said RIM should've communicated early and often, even if the company didn't fully grasp on what went wrong. RIM appears to have learned that lesson, keeping the press updated during last week's outage, even when the exact cause wasn't known. But with two outages in short succession, it could be time to go the extra mile with compensation. Some customers appear to have already worked the system. On the Crackberry forums, user "climbguy" said he received a $25 credit from AT&T after the December 17 outage by complaining and following up. Another user said he got a $5 service credit from his carrier by complaining about today's outage. But if RIM really wants to make good on its recent failings, it'll spare customers the hoop-jumping and cough up the dough.

BlackBerry Users See the Fail Whale Twice in a Week

BlackBerry users faced a second disruption in less than a week last night, prompting phone maker Research In Motion Ltd. to release new software to restore e- mail service.

The breakdown may stem from flaws in two recent versions of the BlackBerry Messenger program, the Waterloo, Ontario-based company said in an e-mailed statement today. RIM said it has taken action to fix the glitch, which didn’t affect phone or text-messaging service.

The breakdown affected customers in North America, home to about two-thirds of RIM’s revenue. Suffering two disruptions so close together may frustrate consumers, one of RIM’s biggest growth areas, said Jeff Fidacaro, an analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group in New York.

“They’re vulnerable to something like this because the perception of BlackBerry is that it’s a superior messaging device,” said Fidacaro, who has a “neutral” rating on the stock and doesn’t own any RIM shares. “RIM has to be very careful that they can offer reliability and uninterrupted service -- if it becomes frequent, then their reputation could be at risk.”

Customers who downloaded BlackBerry Messenger versions 5.0.0.55 and 5.0.0.56 since Dec. 14 should download the new version, RIM said. Its BlackBerry Curve was the top consumer smart phone in the U.S. in the third quarter as price cuts fueled sales, according to researcher NPD Group Inc. Models of the iPhone, made by Cupertino, California-based Apple Inc., took second and third place.

RIM fell 4 cents to $67.18 at 9:32 a.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The stock had climbed 66 percent this year before today.

The previous BlackBerry disruption, which affected consumer users, occurred Dec. 17 in North America. RIM has sought to broaden its subscriber base beyond that region by expanding in developing countries such as China, striving to compete with Apple and Schaumburg, Illinois-based Motorola Inc.

Businesses and governments worldwide rely on BlackBerrys to communicate with mobile workers. RIM had about 36 million subscribers globally at the end of its third quarter, ended Nov. 28.

Co-Chief Executive Officer Jim Balsillie said last week that the third quarter was the company’s strongest for growth outside North America. About 35 percent of subscribers are from outside the region, he said on a conference call.

Balsillie also announced an agreement with China Telecom Corp. to offer the BlackBerry in China, the world’s biggest mobile-phone market. RIM plans to sell a BlackBerry customized for that country with China Mobile Ltd.

The Dec. 17 interruption affected BlackBerry users who rely on RIM’s Internet-based service, instead of corporate servers, according to Verizon Wireless, the biggest U.S. mobile-phone carrier. RIM restored services several hours later.